Author and host of the hit OUTDOOR CHANNEL show SHOOTING GALLERY spouts off...

Sunday, November 03, 2013

I Feel Smarter Already!

Always great to wake up and learn something new! This from Business Insider, everything you ever wanted to know about the AR-15!

Very little separates a civilian AR-15 from the M-16s that are the standard-issue rifle for the American military. The military versions are semi-automatic, but also come with the ability to fire in a three-round burst; this feature is rarely used.

Well, who knew? I was handling a modern military M4A1 last Friday morning, and to my uneducated eyes it appeared to be full auto. In fact, I thought the 3-round burst went away when the M4 upgraded to the M4A1. I guess since the President lies on a daily basis, it sets the tone for his busy little bee minions in the media. Using the same logic, I'd say very little separates my Grey Parrot Ripley from Business Insider correspondent Brian Jones, except that Ripley is smart.

You know my reading of the second amendment tells me that "the people" are the regulators of the "militia".The "militia" in the second amendment to me means that in security of the state the government would have to raise an army and the people would have to secure the nation from an army going out on it's own and taking over.Hence the people having arms was necessary to secure the nation.Which to me means that we should be able to secure arms equal to whats being used by the military now.

All right thinking people acknowledge that the language of the Second Amendment means something more like well drilled rather than ruled and regulated by a Code of Federal Regulations. FREX see Deutsche Grammophon on " the title Das Wohltemperirte Clavier ("well-regulated" or "appropriately tuned" is perhaps a more accurate translation)." The need to practice and drill like a well regulated clock made it necessary to have the militia (the body of the people not in the regular army) keep and bear arms. It follows that folks like say Ruth Bader Ginsburg who distort history to support a biased reading of the Second Amendment are wrong.

On the other hand I'd hate to see political correctness imposed on us by us. I'd save my energy for the real idiots out there who are so useful to the gun grabbers. Malice is forever ignorance is curable.

Metcalf's article stunned me. I've been trying to honestly get inside his head to see what could have possibly caused him to arrive at this. The only thing I can think of is he is of the old school, old boy, hunter class that does not see, nor care about, the philosophical origin of the 2nd Amendment. To him, guns are only for hunting and personal protection, under "well regulated" circumstances. Or, he's just simply gullible to the unending anti-gun media blitz.

Sadly, there are too many of these old boy types in our ranks, even on the NRA Board. Guys like Joaquin "you only need 5 rounds if you're a civilian" Jackson.

Hey folks, don't forget that today is an election day. Mostly local/state offices in play. DA's, Court Judges, mayors and governors (HELLO VIRGINIA !!) BUT PLEASE get out and cast a ballot for somebody pro-gun or at least not rabid anti ! While we as a country focus on the Presidential 4 year elections, its the local stuff that has mighty impact on our lives. I just got back from my polling place and 14 people showed up so far after 3 hours of the polls being open. These low turn-out elections mean OUR VOTES ARE SUPER IMPORTANT.

I want to concur that (IMO) in the language of the day to the Founding Fathers well regulated meant well drilled and practiced as in proficient.

This did not simply mean an organized militia but that the ordinary citizen who might serve in either an organized militia or as the citizen who fell in to help when an emergency presented and the local Milita Company was away on campaign. A community watch, so to speak.

In order to preserve this capability, in order to allow private practice for a public emergency, in order not to be at a loss for arms when the Magazine was empty or the Company was away, and ready in a Minute, the Government was forbidden to control arms or infringe the already-existing natural right of a citizen to possess and use arms. (This was a theme in history familiar to them and in the English Bill of Rights in 1689 .

--They had been through it all . . . --They knew what they were doing.--They knew the consequences of what they were doing.--They knew what the consequences of NOT DOING IT would be.--That's why it's the *Second* amendment following only no established religion and free exercise of religion, free speech, peaceable assembly, and freedom to petition for redress of grievances.--That's why no other part of the Constitution and Bill of Rights uses language so strong and declarative as "shall not be infringed."

I believe they would be aghast at the "regulatory" environment that we now endure.

Sorry Virginia about last nite. All I have to say is ya better start thinking about selling or burying your ARs and magazines. Bloomberg and Mac are going to out do Cuomo for bragging rights. Don't know if you can have two West Virginia's in the union?

I also have the same reaction to Dick Metcalf's back-page article in Guns & Ammo Magazine. To him, regulation may not mean much, but it will when regulations become a way of disarming us. He IS an elitist!

In my state of Michigan, I live in one of the original "shall-issue"/ concealed pistol permit counties. Everything was great until the state also became a shall-issue state. That IS good news, but along with the new law came regulations that actually impede many people from exercising their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear CONCEALED PISTOLS. How is that? Well, part of the law included REGULATIONS that specified mandatory requirements including training and licensing. How is that a bad thing? It's bad because whenever something is made mandatory and it costs money, it will cost a lot more than it should.

Training is going for upwards of $160 for the class, plus: the 100 rounds of ammo needed, range fees, finger-printing and the license fees themself. Then, when renewal time comes at five years, you have to do it all again. You save some, as only a training "refresher course" is needed, but if the law changes, then you have to do it ALL again. Many people with lower incomes are shut-out from the "right". My late uncle was an example. He was a senior citizen on a meager fixed income and he had to let his right go, so that he could afford the more basic things in life.

All I'm cautioning Mr. Metcalf to do is think a little more deeply and NOT break his own arm patting himself on the back bragging about his past political connections. He's demonstrating negative wisdom!

I'll wait to see the fall-out from his diatribe before I quit my paid-up 3 year subscription to his mag'.